Understanding the role of bitter taste perception in coffee, tea and alcohol consumption through Mendelian randomization

Background: To understand a causal role of modifiable lifestyle factors in ACE2 expression (a putative SARS-CoV-2 receptor) across 44 human tissues/organs, and in COVID-19 susceptibility and severity, we conducted a phenome-wide two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) study. Methods: More than 500 genetic variants were used as instrumental variables to predict smoking and alcohol consumption. Inverse-variance weighted approach was adopted as the primary method to estimate a causal association, while MR-Egger regression, weighted median and MR-PRESSO were performed to identify potential horizontal pleiotropy. Results: We found that genetically predicted smoking intensity significantly increased ACE2 expression in thyroid (β=1.468, p=1.8 10-8); and increased ACE2 expression in adipose, brain, colon and liver with nominal significance. Additionally, genetically predicted smoking initiation significantly increased the risk of COVID-19 onset (odds ratio=1.14, p=8.7 10-5). No statistically significant result was observed for alcohol consumption. Conclusions: Our work demonstrates an important role of smoking, measured by both status and intensity, in the susceptibility to COVID-19. Funding: Dr. Jiang is supported by research grants from the Swedish Research Council (VR-2018-02247) and Swedish Research Council for Health, Working Life and Welfare (FORTE-2020-00884).

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Understanding the Critical Role of Alcohol Consumption in the Linkages Among Older Adults' Depressive Symptoms, Leisure Activities, and Physical Health Outcomes

PsycEXTRA Dataset ◽

10.1037/e625482009-001 ◽

2009 ◽

Author(s):

Rebecca Rueggeberg ◽

Carsten Wrosch ◽

Fatima Amari

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Alcohol Consumption ◽

Health Outcomes ◽

Physical Health ◽

Leisure Activities ◽

Critical Role ◽

Physical Health Outcomes

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Uric Acid and Hypertension: Prognostic Role and Guide for Treatment

Journal of Clinical Medicine ◽

10.3390/jcm10030448 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (3) ◽

pp. 448

Author(s):

Federica Piani ◽

Arrigo F. G. Cicero ◽

Claudio Borghi

Keyword(s):

Clinical Trials ◽

Uric Acid ◽

Mendelian Randomization ◽

Strong Association ◽

Epidemiological Studies ◽

Hypertensive Disease ◽

Genetic Studies ◽

Lowering Therapy ◽

The Relationship

The relationship between serum uric acid (SUA) and hypertension has been a subject of increasing interest since the 1870 discovery by Frederick Akbar Mahomed. Several epidemiological studies have shown a strong association between high SUA levels and the presence or the development of hypertension. Genetic analyses have found that xanthine oxidoreductase (XOR) genetic polymorphisms are associated with hypertension. However, genetic studies on urate transporters and Mendelian randomization studies failed to demonstrate a causal relationship between SUA and hypertension. Results from clinical trials on the role of urate-lowering therapy in the management of patients with hypertension are not uniform. Our study sought to analyze the prognostic and therapeutic role of SUA in the hypertensive disease, from uric acid (UA) biology to clinical trials on urate-lowering therapies.

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Caution against examining the role of reverse causality in Mendelian Randomization

Genetic Epidemiology ◽

10.1002/gepi.22385 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Sharon M. Lutz ◽

Ann Chen Wu ◽

John E. Hokanson ◽

Stijn Vansteelandt ◽

Christoph Lange

Keyword(s):

Mendelian Randomization ◽

Reverse Causality

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Does intervention with GLP-1 receptor agonist semaglutide modulate perception of sweet taste in women with obesity: study protocol of a randomized, single-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical trial

Trials ◽

10.1186/s13063-021-05442-y ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 22 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Mojca Jensterle ◽

Simona Ferjan ◽

Tadej Battelino ◽

Jernej Kovač ◽

Saba Battelino ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Clinical Trial ◽

Neural Response ◽

Taste Perception ◽

Taste Bud ◽

Controlled Clinical Trial ◽

Food Cues ◽

Link Type ◽

Visual Food Cues ◽

Taste Bud Cells

Abstract Background Preclinical studies demonstrated that glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) is locally synthesized in taste bud cells and that GLP-1 receptor exists on the gustatory nerves in close proximity to GLP-1-containing taste bud cells. This local paracrine GLP-1 signalling seems to be specifically involved in the perception of sweets. However, the role of GLP-1 in taste perception remains largely unaddressed in clinical studies. Whether any weight-reducing effects of GLP-1 receptor agonists are mediated through the modulation of taste perception is currently unknown. Methods and analysis This is an investigator-initiated, randomized single-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. We will enrol 30 women with obesity and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Participants will be randomized in a 1:1 ratio to either semaglutide 1.0 mg or placebo for 16 weeks. The primary endpoints are alteration of transcriptomic profile of tongue tissue as changes in expression level from baseline to follow-up after 16 weeks of treatment, measured by RNA sequencing, and change in taste sensitivity as detected by chemical gustometry. Secondary endpoints include change in neural response to visual food cues and to sweet-tasting substances as assessed by functional MRI, change in body weight, change in fat mass and change in eating behaviour and food intake. Discussion This is the first study to investigate the role of semaglutide on taste perception, along with a neural response to visual food cues in reward processing regions. The study may identify the tongue and the taste perception as a novel target for GLP-1 receptor agonists. Ethics and disseminations The study has been approved by the Slovene National Medical Ethics Committee and will be conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki and Good Clinical Practice guidelines. Results will be submitted for publication in an international peer-reviewed scientific journal. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.govNCT04263415. Retrospectively registered on 10 February 2020

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Gallstone disease, diabetes, calcium, triglycerides, smoking and alcohol consumption and pancreatitis risk: Mendelian randomization study

npj Genomic Medicine ◽

10.1038/s41525-021-00189-6 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 6 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Shuai Yuan ◽

Edward L. Giovannucci ◽

Susanna C. Larsson

Keyword(s):

Type 2 Diabetes ◽

Chronic Pancreatitis ◽

Alcohol Consumption ◽

Mendelian Randomization ◽

Gallstone Disease ◽

Smoking Initiation ◽

Disease Type ◽

Uk Biobank ◽

Increased Risk

AbstractWe conducted a Mendelian randomization study to determine the potential causal associations of gallstone disease, diabetes, serum calcium, triglyceride levels, smoking and alcohol consumption with acute and chronic pancreatitis. Genetic variants associated with the exposures at p < 5 × 10−8 were selected from corresponding genome-wide association studies. Summary-level data for pancreatitis were obtained from the FinnGen consortium and UK Biobank. Univariable and multivariable Mendelian randomization analyses were performed and results from FinnGen and UK Biobank were combined using the fixed-effects meta-analysis method. Genetic predisposition to gallstone disease, type 2 diabetes and smoking initiation was associated with an increased risk of acute pancreatitis. The combined odds ratios (ORs) were 1.74 (95% confidence interval (CI), 1.57, 1.93) for gallstone disease, 1.14 (95% CI, 1.06, 1.21) for type 2 diabetes and 1.56 (95% CI, 1.32, 1.83) for smoking initiation. The association for type 2 diabetes attenuated after adjustment for gallstone disease. Genetic predisposition to gallstone disease and smoking initiation as well as higher genetically predicted serum calcium and triglyceride levels were associated with an increased risk of chronic pancreatitis. The combined ORs of chronic pancreatitis were 1.27 (95% CI, 1.08, 1.50) for gallstone disease, 1.86 (95% CI, 1.43, 2.43) for smoking initiation, 2.20 (95% CI, 1.30, 3.72) for calcium and 1.47 (95% CI, 1.23, 1.76) for triglycerides. This study provides evidence in support that gallstone disease, type 2 diabetes, smoking and elevated calcium and triglyceride levels are causally associated with the risk of acute or chronic pancreatitis.

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